posted on December 12, 2011 14:49
December 12, 2011
You may not be working during the holidays, but thieves will be.
Machines left on open job sites should be considered vulnerable and a potential target. Efforts should be made to increase security by heightening customer awareness. HOLT urges the following preventive measures:
- Disable machines by removing batteries or battery leads, ignition circuits, etc.
- Stage machines to preclude access and make loading difficult.
- Question any unauthorized personnel on your sites, and report trespassing to police. Record individual and vehicle descriptions.
- Make area businesses aware of what constitutes suspicious activity involving your machines, encouraging them to call 911.
- Communicate with other contractors and equipment businesses so that they are aware of this threat and will recognize suspicious activity.
- Follow-up on any GPS or monitoring system alerts from equipment; do not assume a random activation that then goes silent is a system glitch.
- Assign personnel to check up on machines at random intervals, especially from Thursday afternoon through the weekend.
- Contact local police agencies to be sure that patrol officers near your job sites are aware of this threat. Be sure they have your emergency contact information.
- Prominently post your emergency contact information on job sites.
- Post your emergency contact information both overtly and covertly on your equipment.
Check Ownership Records
Typically, customers seeking service on machinery that’s been reported missing are victims themselves. They’re often unaware of their equipment’s “reported missing” status.
As a way to qualify equipment ownership prior to a repair or service, HOLT CAT makes it an internal requirement to check serial numbers with Caterpillar's Stolen-Missing-Damaged-Total Loss Database.
The national database is designed to track equipment that is reported missing, which helps companies mitigate financial liability and deter the circulation of stolen property. By entering the serial number as soon as a customer or contractor requests a work order, HOLT CAT is able to query the customer about the equipment’s purchase history and/or report theft to HOLT CAT Security and local authorities.
By utilizing resources that are already available to HOLT CAT, we’re able to do our part in verifying owner status and deter crime.
Noe Cisneros
Director of Safety, Security & Environmental Culture
HOLT CAT
210-867-8047